1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to sports equipment, and more specifically relates to a target apparatus for use with a variety of sport balls, including golf, baseball, tennis, football, and soccer.
2. Description of the Related Art
If a person desires to increase his or her proficiency in playing a particular sport, practice is generally required. For sports that use a ball, the skill of the player is directly proportional to the player's ability to direct the ball to a desired target. To increase proficiency at directing the ball, a person may actually play the sport, or may choose to practice by simulating one or more of the actions that are required in directing the ball. Many different practice devices are known to help in developing proficiency in directing the ball in a variety of sports. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,267 "Collapsible Frame With Hanging Net Ball Arresting Apparatus" (issued Nov. 28, 1978 to Bay et al.) discloses a net ball arresting apparatus with a collapsible frame for use with a number of sports such as tennis and baseball; U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,948 "Portable Ball Receiver With Integrated Ball Supporting Platform" (issued Oct. 4, 1994 to Thomas) discloses a portable net apparatus with an integral T-ball stand for batting practice; U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,423 "Pitching Target" (issued Feb. 17, 1987 to Wright) discloses a screen with a target supported by a self-supporting frame in conjunction with a trough, so that pitched baseballs that impact the screen will fall down into the trough; U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,524 "Practice Net" (issued Jan. 15, 1980 to Kifferstein et al.) discloses a practice net for tennis that is attached to a garage door and, when deployed, rebounds tennis balls that are directed into the practice net; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,449 "Draped-Web Target Device" (issued Jan. 4, 1966 to Schwab) discloses a target device that may be suspended and that has a curtain with a lower hopper, such that the curtain stops the forward motion of a ball (such as a softball) and causes the ball to fall within the hopper. All of the patents referenced above are incorporated herein by reference.
Other targeting practice devices that are used specifically for golf are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,645 "Golf Practice Device" (issued Apr. 16, 1991 to Weigi et al.) discloses a golf net that is attached on one end to the floor of a garage and is attached at the other end to the top of the garage door so the net allows opening of the garage door. This device allows a golfer to direct golf balls to the net from either inside or outside the garage. U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,549 "Golf Target" (issued Jun. 26, 1973 to Wilson) discloses a self-standing target with a pocket for receiving chip shots. U.K. Pat. No. GB 2 135 587A "Practice Net for Golf Ball Driving" (issued Sep. 5, 1984 to Wood) discloses a net with multiple pockets for receiving a golf ball, with the accuracy of the drive determined by which pocket (if any) the golf ball enters. These patents are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, other golf practice nets are commercially known, such as the Indoor-Outdoor Practice Net offered by Golf Day, a mail order house that sells golf equipment. This practice net comprises a self-standing frame with a backstop net and a lower ball arresting net. Other commercially available self-supporting golf practice nets are manufactured and sold by Par-Buster of Tulsa, Okla.
Each of the known sport nets have inherent disadvantages. For example, for the units that are self-supporting, a frame (typically of metal) is required, increasing the bulk and weight of the unit, making the unit less portable, and sometimes making portability by one person impossible. Many have only a backstop, with no sides or top or other means for containing the ball. Most are made of a fabric net, which may deteriorate from exposure to the elements. The units that do have sides and/or a top are much bulkier to transport and require a larger space for use. A few have a trough or hopper for receiving the balls once their forward motion is stopped. However, each of the known prior art sport nets have failings in one or more areas such as failing to make the unit collapsible, easily transportable by one person, relatively small in size allowing for use in a wide variety of locations, easily set up by suspending the unit on supports, easily removed and collapsed by removing the unit from the supports, able to arrest the motion of a ball in several directions, able to retain many balls within a ball retention area, able to direct a ball that hits a front lip area into the ball retention area, and resistant to elements such as ultraviolet light, moisture, mildew, etc.
Therefore, there existed a need to provide a sport target apparatus that is relatively lightweight and easily transportable by one person in a relatively small space, can be easily deployed and taken down by one person, and provides other specific features and advantages not known in the prior art.